Supreme Court Dismisses Wrongful Death Lawsuit In Suicide Case

The Michigan Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit filed against the Kent County Sheriff’s Department for failing to take a mentally ill man into protective custody before he killed himself.

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The Michigan Public Radio Network’s Rick Pluta reports.

The Kent County Sheriff’s Department acknowledges it did not follow its own procedures when it delayed executing a warrant requested by Stephen Bradley’s family to him to hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. Nine days after the warrant was issued, Bradley committed suicide nine.

Courts dismissed a wrongful death suit filed by Bradley’s sister. That’s because governments are immune from most civil lawsuits filed by people who not satisfied with how a service is performed. The sister went back to a judge seeking a contempt of court order. The Michigan Supreme Court ruled that was effectively the same lawsuit – it made the same arguments and demanded the same damages – and dismissed it, as well.